Sinn Féin - On Your Side

Sinn Féin Assembly member Alex Maskey said today that the newly constituted
Parades Commission is clearly biased in terms of its make up. Mr Maskey also
questioned the role of the SDLP in putting this new body together.

Mr Maskey said

" The new Parades Commission has no representative of a working class
nationalist or republican community directly affected by the issue of
sectarian parades. It has instead at least two members of the loyal orders
and two members of the local policing DPPs.

" Given this bias in make up nationalists and republicans will be
justifiably sceptical of this Commissions ability to reach impartial and
fair determinations. Another point which needs to be clarified is the role
of the SDLP in putting this new Commission together.

" It would seem that the SDLP has colluded with the British government to
ensure its own representation, in the shape of Joe Hendron, in exchange for
the rest of the Parades Commission being loaded in favour of the unionist
and loyal order position." ENDS